Her first break in the music world was at the age of sixteen when her parents (with mixed feelings) entered her for a singing contest in Sydney. It was organized by TVB with the winner to be offered a recording contract with one of the big music companies in Hong Kong. She won the competition and was sent back to Hong Kong and met with the TVB producers who wanted her to sign with one of the music labels. After much deliberation she finally decided that it wasn’t right for her at that time and instead returned to Australia to study at University. She pretty much just settled back into life at Uni and put aside any dreams of a music career.
After graduating from University she returned to Hong Kong in 1997 to help run her family’s accounting business and gained CPA certification. Despite her relatively settled career Susan was thinking, “is that all there is in life”. One of the students who she was teaching piano was working for a Hong Kong independent label, and she asked the boss if they wanted a singer. Susan says “I really wanted to record the English songs that I loved. We agreed to make an album and I just went into the studio feeling really relaxed with no stress or pressure and had a fun time recording my ‘Close To You’ album.” When the album came out it in 2002 it was widely acclaimed and quickly became a favourite of music stores to play and the album was soon climbing up the sales charts in countries like Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. The four album release’s since, ‘Close To You’ have also enjoyed wide critical and commercial success establishing Susan as probably the No.1 selling English language female singer of her genre throughout S.E.Asia.
In early 2007 Susan Wong signed a new recording agreement with Hong Kong based Evolution Limited and pre-production is currently underway for her new album that will be recorded in the USA in May. As Susan explains her motivation behind the new album, “Musically I wanted a new challenge and new musical chemistry to give me a different lift and to move on to another stage. Not everyone has opportunity to work with such high calibre musicians and producers like those I’m working with on the new album”.
Someone Like You (2007)
In early 2007, Susan Wong signed a new recording agreement with Hong Kong based Evolution Limited and released her first album under Evolution in August 2007.
The first release under this agreement, Someone Like You, was recorded in Nashville, USA and was quick to win critical and commercial success throughout S. E. Asia. The success of the SACD version in particular bore testament to the fine production, vocal performance and mastering by Grammy award winning engineer Doug Sax. The album was domestically released in Japan in September 2008.
511 (2008)
In Summer 2008 a newly invigorated Susan, began working on fresh ideas for her follow-up album. In September 2008 Susan travelled to Geneva, Switzerland to work on demos with producer Adrien Z. As Susan explained “He brought my music ideas to life. He was able to transform the songs I want to sing into the styling which I dare tried.” The album recording was completed in February/March 2009.
In her blog Susan said of the album; “I guess I took a "more hands on" approach with this album, more than any of the previous ones, as I felt the need to voice out my persona, be more individualistic and independent for my work.” Susan’s bossa nova inspired version of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean received a lot of attention and radio play and the album sold widely across the region.
Step Into My Dreams (2009)
Inspired by the positive feedback to 511, Susan was anxious to start working on her next album and within months of the release of 511 she was forming ideas for new recordings, choosing to again work with producer Adrien Zerbini and arranger Ignacio Lamas. With songs for the albums mostly coming from the late 1960’s/early 1970’s Susan and her band worked on a relaxed, natural acoustic pop feel lead by Ignacio’s skilled guitar style. With some fine performances and some radically rearranged interpretations of well known classics the new album, Step Into My Dreams soon became Susan Wong’s bestselling title and a fan’s favorite.
‘Best Recording Yet’: My LIVE Stories (2013)
After 5 years, Susan Wong returned to Nashville in June 2012 to record her next masterpiece. This masterpiece called My LIVE Stories was recorded live over two days in the world famous Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, USA which Susan described was her ‘best recording yet’. With an ensemble of top notch session musicians and a first class recording environment inside a 100 year old converted church Susan performed a selection of her favourite songs from her previous albums along with new songs.
Highlights include the bossa nova influenced Billie Jean, the blues tinged Cry Me A River, an up tempo Perfect and a spine tingling performance of Desperado. The studio recording was filmed in full HD and released in DVD and Blu-ray formats in December 2012.
Tribute to Female Vocal: Woman In Love (2014) & SusanWongVEVO
From the time when My LIVE Stories was being recorded, the idea for Woman In Love was already in conception. 2 ½ years in the making, recorded over 8 studios in 3 continents – Woman In Love was released worldwide December 1st, 2014. Woman In Love is Susan’s tribute to great women singers before her who made their fame with sensuous and endearing love songs. The album features romantic love songs old and new from Olivia Newton-John’s I Honestly Love You, Barbra Streisand’s classic Woman in Love to Rihanna’s hit Stay and Adele’s Make You Feel My Love.
For Woman In Love, Susan crafted a rare original song Can’t You See (I’m Falling In Love) to be included in the album.
Susan took her rendition of Mary Macgregor’s Torn Between Two Lovers to the big screen where the music video was released in full HD live on SusanWongVEVO. Susan Wong’s VEVO channel now holds a dear collection of Susan Wong’s best and most popular music.
California Dreaming
Susan Wong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(All the leaves are brown)
And the sky is gray
(And the sky is gray)
I’ve been for a walk
(I’ve been for a walk)
On a winter’s day
(On a winter’s day)
(I’d be safe and warm)
If I was in L.A.
(If I was in L.A.)
California dreamin’
(California dreamin’)
On such a winter’s day
Stopped into a church
I passed along the way
Well I got down on my knees
And I pretend to pray
You know the preacher likes the cold
He knows I’m gonna stay
California dreamin’
On such a winter’s day
(bridge)
All the leaves are brown
(All the leaves are brown)
And the sky is gray
(And the sky is gray)
I’ve been for a walk
(I’ve been for a walk)
On a winter’s day
(On a winter’s day)
If I didn’t tell him
(If I didn’t tell him)
I could leave today
(I could leave today)
California dreamin’
(California dreamin’)
On such a winter’s day,
California dreamin’
On such a winter’s day,
California dreamin’
On such a winter’s day
The lyrics to Susan Wong's song California Dreaming describe a feeling of longing for warmer weather and the promise of a better life in California. The first verse sets the scene with a description of a winter day where the leaves are brown and the sky is gray. The singer then muses about how much more comfortable she would be if she were in Los Angeles, dreaming of California and its perpetual sunshine. The second verse tells the story of how the singer passed a church and went inside to pray, but in reality, she was just trying to get warm. She imagines that the preacher likes the cold and she will have to stay and endure the winter. The bridge repeats the first verse, emphasizing the singer's desire to leave her current situation and head to California, where the sun is always shining.
Line by Line Meaning
All the leaves are brown
The leaves of the trees have turned brown and fallen due to winter season
And the sky is gray
The sky is overcast with gray clouds on this wintery day
I’ve been for a walk
I have strolled around, enjoying the cold breeze outside
On a winter’s day
It's a day during the winter season
I’d be safe and warm
If I was in L.A., I would feel comfortable and cozy in the warm, sunny weather
If I was in L.A.
The singer wishes they were in Los Angeles instead of where they are currently standing
California dreamin’
The singer is daydreaming of being in California
On such a winter’s day
The artist is dreaming of being in California on a cold winter day
Stopped into a church
The artist goes inside a church that they pass by
I passed along the way
The church is located on the artist's route
Well I got down on my knees
The singer kneels down in the church
And I pretend to pray
The artist feigns prayer to the preacher or the god
You know the preacher likes the cold
The singer imagines that the preacher enjoys the cold weather and therefore wouldn't mind being outside
He knows I’m gonna stay
The singer expects to stay in the area despite the cold weather
If I didn’t tell him
The singer considers leaving without informing the preacher
I could leave today
The artist could depart the area immediately
Contributed by Layla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gavin Leung
午安，我是SUSAN WONG黃翠珊姐姐
第三十七屆香港電影金像獎頒獎典禮
最佳電影：明月幾時有
最佳導演：許鞍華女士
最佳男主角：古天樂先生
最佳女主角：毛舜筠女士
最佳男配角：姜皓文先生
最佳女配角：葉德嫻女士
最佳新演員：凌文龍先生
最佳編劇：張艾嘉女士、游曉穎女士
新晉導演：彭秀慧女士
Arthur Rodriguez
enchanting voice & fantastic accompaniment, especially the guitar! thank you for your great music!
Elida Nayibe
SIMPLEMENTE, MARAVILLOOOOOSA!!!!!!
Daniel Chao
Great voice and superb guitar work there! keep it up.
apm eses
mel para os ouvidos!
Seazer009
Excellent rendition...I really love this tune...Thanks.. Wayne..
StumptownBoy
Very cool video. I love the work you did with the lyrics text. Which program do you use for this?
Jorge VERGARA VERGARA
Que agradable Susan, estilo, voz y sensualidad; saludos desde Lima-Peru - Wie schön, Susan, Stil, Stimme und Sinnlichkeit; Grüße aus Lima-Peru
KM Fong
Fantastic !!!
Mary Land
Neke prerade vrijede 💚💚💚
Paloma B. R.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼